Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | The Speaker of Parliament, Ms. Anita Among, has called on all stakeholders to ensure the enforcement of the laws passed by Parliament to protect girls from early marriages and teenage pregnancies.
Ms. Among expressed her regret that some of these laws have not been fully implemented, thereby undermining their intended purpose.
At the launch of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum to End Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy, the Speaker urged all Members of Parliament (MPs) to actively participate in awareness and mobilization campaigns to combat the rise in early marriages and teenage pregnancies.
During the event, Ms. Among also shared a personal story, revealing that her father had refused to educate her and intended to marry her off for financial gain.
“I’m from family of 48 children and I’m the last born but I saw all my sister’s getting married and I asked my self why my sister’s were getting married at an early age instead of concentrating on their books,” Ms. Among said.
“This situation forced me to run away from home and went and became a house girl and started educating myself from Primary Two to the university level. After I went to my sister’s home who was married, the husband also wanted to rape me and I ran away from their home,” Ms. Among revealed.
Also Read: Life after rape
The Speaker recounted that after completing her A-Level education, she worked as a cleaner at Centenary Bank. Her dedication and hard work were recognized, and she was subsequently promoted to the position of cashier.
She also revealed a distressing personal experience, disclosing that a relative had arranged for someone to rape her.
“Because they had wanted me to go for early marriage, one of my relative organised someone to rape me. Fortunately ,I hit the man and started bleeding and I took off,” she said.
Ms. Among emphasized that early marriages and teenage pregnancies are serious issues that must be addressed directly.
She expressed gratitude to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other development partners for their support in the fight against these harmful practices.
